Tracing Quotations
John Maynard Keynes? Norman Angell? Carter Field? Lionel Robbins? Malcolm W. Bingay? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: With time and effort it is possible to bamboozle people, i.e., to fool or mislead them. Unfortunately, this process of deception can be so thorough that it is impossible to debamboozle them, i.e., to convince them of the …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: It Is Easier to Bamboozle People Than It Is To Unbamboozle Them”
Mignon McLaughlin? Leata McQuiston? Barbara Bush? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: “Be yourself” is an ubiquitous platitude. Here is a funny variant: Don’t be yourself—be someone a little nicer. Would you please explore the provenance of this quip? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest instance located by QI appeared in a newspaper column called “Chatter” by …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Don’t Be Yourself—Be Someone a Little Nicer”
Coco Chanel? Gabrielle Chanel? Pierre Reverdy? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: People spend many hours in their homes. The fashion icon Coco Chanel (Gabrielle Chanel) recommended beautifying one’s abode. She said something like this: Our homes are our prisons; one finds liberty in their decoration. This saying resonates powerfully in 2020 because of the Covid-19 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Our Homes Are Our Prisons; Let Us Find Freedom in Their Decoration”
Henry David Thoreau? William Ellery Channing? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: When you are pursuing a goal you should be guided by conscious and unconscious thoughts. These two complementary elements will each take you part of the way to the goal. As you approach the objective you must make a leap in the dark to …
Anatole France? Bertrand Russell? W. Somerset Maugham? Oliver Goldsmith? J. A. Schmit? Laurence J. Peter? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Fifty million people may parrot a false or foolish statement, but that will not metamorphose it into a true or sensible remark. Here are two instances in this family of statements: This saying has been …
Oliver Goldsmith? H. L. Mencken? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: In the Internet Age a falsehood is sometimes repeated incessantly and propagated across the world. Yet, the collective voice of one million people cannot transform a falsehood into a truth. This insight has a long history. The prominent Anglo-Irish novelist and playwright Oliver Goldsmith said …
Emil M. Cioran? W. H. Auden? Louis Kronenberger? Richard Howard? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Humans experience many tragedies, but contemplating the extreme hardships faced by other creatures provides a sobering perspective. The Romanian and French literary figure Emil M. Cioran said something like the following: What would be left of our tragedies if an …
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Nike Advertisement? Janet Champ? Charlotte Moore? Wieden & Kennedy? Pam Finger? Question for Quote Investigator: Some people fear that their genes or social circumstances will restrict their life options and push them inexorably toward a foreordained destiny. An inspirational message presents a radically different viewpoint: The only person you are destined to …
W. C. Fields? Franklin P. Adams? H. L. Mencken? Richard Croker? Franklin D. Roosevelt? Will Rogers? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a family of sardonic sayings about the behavior of voters. Here are three examples: This viewpoint has been attributed to popular columnist Franklin P. Adams, curmudgeonly commentator H. L. Mencken, and star comedian …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: I Never Vote For Anybody. I Always Vote Against”
Garry Winogrand? Diane Arbus? Sandra S. Phillips? John Dufresne? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A photograph presents a direct representation of a person, object, or landscape. It seems to provide a perfect unmediated description. Yet, photographs can be cryptic, confusing, or misleading. The photographer is typically a purposeful intermediary. Garry Winogrand who became famous for …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: There Is Nothing As Mysterious As a Fact Clearly Described”